Do This With An Ice Cube To Stop A Stuffy Nose In Its Tracks

Everyone's had a stuffy nose at least a few times in their life. Your nose, which essentially acts as a filtering system for whatever you're breathing in from the environment, sometimes reacts to allergens. This can result in congestion. Other times, your stuffy nose is a result of colds and flus, per the Mayo Clinic. Whatever the reason, waking up with a stuffy nose is the worst feeling. Your head (particularly the nasal area) feels inflamed, and there's usually also a lot of pressure that makes doing anything during the day 10 times harder. 

But thanks to pharmacist and herbalist Angela Dori, who goes by the name angelapharmd on TikTok, there's a home remedy you should try for congestion that involves an ice cube and the roof of your mouth. "Here's a cool hack for you guys. If you have [a] stuffy nose, put an ice cube in your mouth and hold it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Your stuffy nose will go away," shared Dori. 

The explanation behind why this ice cube hack works is pretty simple. We get a stuffy nose as a result of our immunity reacting to some irritant or infection, as explained by Dr. David A. Gudis, otolaryngologist and chief of the Division of Rhinology and Anterior Skull Base Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (via Health Matters NewYork-Presbyterian). "When a germ or microbe is identified as a threat, the lining of the nose and sinuses mount a protective response that includes inflammation and production of secretions. These changes are experienced as stuffy or runny noses," shared the ear, nose, and throat specialist. 

When you're pushing an ice cube to the roof of your mouth, you're essentially helping swollen blood vessels constrict, per Life Hacker. "Stuffy nose is caused by inflamed blood vessels and when you put ice close to it, that will constrict the blood vessels and get rid of a stuffy nose," explained Angela Dori. Cooling techniques to soothe sinus pressure are also recommended by health professionals like the Detroit Sinus Center. As it turns out, this isn't the only thing that pressing ice cubes to the roof of your mouth can do. It can also be used as a beauty hack to combat blotchy skin. 

Are you prone to waking up with blotchy or puffed skin on your face? Try the ice cube hack for when you get a stuffy nose as a beauty trick, too. Australian makeup artist Napoleon Perdis recommended holding an ice cube to the roof of your mouth — the place closest to the blood vessels in your face — to directly influence them to constrict, therefore getting rid of puffy and blotchy skin on your face (via Fashionista).  

Ice water- or ice cube-related beauty hacks aren't new, with many professional makeup artists touting their benefits. There is, however, a need for caution when it comes to applying ice cubes directly to your face. In order to avoid irritation, place the cubes in a soft washcloth and wrap them up before pressing them to your face. Even with pushing ice cubes to the roof of your mouth, keep in mind that eating too much ice can negatively impact your tooth enamel and even lead to increased oral sensitivity, per Medical News Today. While TikTok hacks such as these are cool to try out (especially when they're backed by science), keep in mind that too much of anything can also be a bad thing.